Is Drag Political?: Hollywood vs. Fascism

Eating For Free

Allegations and Emmy wins coincide with threats of violence and a lawsuit kickstarted by a visit from HBO's "We're Here" to the fundamentalist battleground of Utah. In the face of fascism, what does it mean for drag to be political?

About:

Hosted by journalists Joan Summers and Matthew Lawson, Eating For Free is a weekly podcast that explores gossip and power in the pop culture landscape: Where it comes from, who wields it, and who suffers at the hands of it. Find out the stories behind the stories, as together they look beyond the headlines of troublesome YouTubers or scandal-ridden A-Listers, and delve deep into the inner workings of Hollywood's favorite pastime. The truth, they've found, is definitely stranger than any gossip.

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• Joan Summers’ Twitter: @laracroftbarbie
• Matthew Lawson’s Instagram: @_matthewlawson

Sources [may cutoff in certain apps]:

• HBO ‘We’re Here’ TV series concert in St. George encourages people to be who they want to be, 06/04/22 [St George Utah]
• Settlement for St. George city manager forced out after drag show will cost taxpayers $625,000, 10/27/22 [SLC Tribune]
• HATEFUL SCENE: What St. George residents said about drag shows at divided council meeting, 11/04/22 [SLC Tribune]
• HBO showrunners say St. George drag show controversy should be seen as a warning, 12/07/22 [SLC Tribune]
• This is what happens when HBO drag queens sashay into ruby-red Granbury, Texas, 11/23/22 [Fort Worth Star Telegram]
• ‘We’re Here’ cast & crew faced threats of violence & outright hostility while filming Season 3, 11/23/22 [LGBTQ Nation]
• As Drag TV Shows Take Off, So Too Does Anti-Drag Legislation, 04/11/23 [Broadcasting + Cable]
• Rape allegation against Shangela lands as GLAAD and TV academy plan to honor the actor’s show, 05/04/23 [LA Times]
• HBO Donates $100K to LGBTQ+ Groups in States Where ‘We’re Here' Filmed, 06/24/23 [Advocate]
• We're Here season 4 to replace 3 Drag Race queens with new hosts Sasha Velour, Jaida Essence Hall, Priyanka, 07/12/23 [EW]
• Shangela Reportedly Accused of Sexual Assault by 5 People Days After Alleged Rape Lawsuit Is Dismissed [People]
• HBO's 'We're Here' drag queens coming to Bartlesville's Unity Square Sunday, 09/29/23 [Examiner-Enterprise]
• 'RuPaul’s Drag Race' Star Shangela's Sexual Assault Accuser Dropping Lawsuit, 02/01/23, [Radar]
• ‘Drag Race’ Star Shangela Accused of Multiple Sexual Assaults, 03/18/24 [THR]
• Drag Race stars publicly harassed, called homophobic slurs in We’re Here season 4 premiere, 04/26/2024 [EW]
• Milwaukee drag queen Jaida Essence Hall discusses confronting LGBTQ+ discrimination in new season of HBO's 'We're Here', 04/24/24 [MJS]
• We're Here's new queens Priyanka and Jaida Essence Hall explain big change for season 4, 04/26/24 [Digital Spy]
• Drag Race queens clash with teen accusing them of joining 'religious cult' on We're Here, 05/03/24 [EW]
• Drag Race queens clash with teen accusing them of joining 'religious cult' on We're Here, 05/03/24 [EW]
• Misinformed bigots are no match for Sasha Velour on We're Here, 05/10/24 [OUT]